Telenav offers "Scout for Apps" service to developers (Updated)

Earlier this year, TeleNav launched a free Scout app and promised an online, HTML5 navigation service. Perhaps those weren't gaining enough momentum, because TeleNav is now offering the service to developers, who can embed TeleNav's turn-by-turn Scout.me services into their apps. Read more about Scout for Apps using HTML5 on the TeleNav blog.

Apparently the first to do this will be the Yellow Pages app. TeleNav's developer blog has a few more details, although no mention of cost to developers. Instead, there's a mention that "you'll also be able to participate in future revenue sharing opportunities with no additional effort" -- which sounds like advertising may appear at some point to monetize this whole thing.

Still, if you're looking for a quick mapping solution in your app with voice turn-by-turn directions, Scout for Apps is definitely one solution.

Update: A note from their PR and the press release is below. Turns out you can turn off ads for a fee.

"Scout for Apps is free to developers (ad-supported). For developers who prefer not to support ads, we can provide other licensing options. This info is on the press release (pasted below)."

Show full PR text

Scout™ for Apps, Telenav's HTML5 Voice-Guided GPS Navigation Service,
Now Open to All Developers
Available for consumers on Scout.me and shareable via text, email, Facebook and Twitter;
Also launching today on Avantar's Yellow Pages app and available soon on other mobile apps including AroundMe, Life360 and WedVite
Sunnyvale, Calif. - March 27, 2012 - Telenav, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV), the leader in personalized navigation, today opened its free Scout for Apps service to all mobile web and app developers. Scout for Apps gives developers an easy way to offer consumers free, turn-by-turn, voice-guided GPS navigation, directly from their app or website.

Scout for Apps is the first HTML5, browser-based, voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation service for mobile phones. Developers can integrate the service by simply adding one line of code, making it ideal for social, travel and shopping apps, or any other app or website that includes points of interest, places or addresses.

Avantar, the media company behind the Yellow Pages app with more than 90 million monthly listings, was one of the first developers to test Scout for Apps and today launched Scout for Apps with an update of its popular app.

"Previously, when users clicked on an address in our Yellow Pages app, we provided a standard map experience to help users get to their desired destinations," said Adrian Ochoa, CEO of Avantar. "Now with Scout for Apps, our customers will receive full-blown turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, and they will never have to leave our app to get those directions and guidance. We love being able to offer this type of service on our platform."

Additionally, Telenav has integrated its browser-based navigation service on the Scout website (www.scout.me), which helps people discover and explore new places and events before they hit the road. Once a user has found an event or place on Scout.me, they can select "Navigate" and choose "Phone" or "Email" in order to send the link to themselves or to someone else via a text message or email. In addition, they can post it to their Facebook wall or share the link via Twitter. Users with compatible phones can then click on the link to launch voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions from Scout for Apps.



"Because Scout for Apps is browser-based, we will be able to rapidly and consistently update the service moving forward," said Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products for Telenav. "Further, these updates will roll out immediately to consumers, so developers know that their customers will continue to receive our most updated technology. We will continue to work with developers to add or update features and enhance usability based on feedback."

Other developers who are already working to implement Scout for Apps and plan on soon launching the HTML5 navigation service as part of their apps include:
· AroundMe provides its users the ability to search for nearby restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and other businesses based on category and distance from their current location. AroundMe will integrate Scout for Apps to give users navigation to any location they select.



Life360 Family Locator uses GPS and other location technology that allows more than 14 million people to locate their family members using their phones, providing a convenient safety tool that delivers peace of mind. Life360 Family Locator will include Scout for Apps so that, for example, parents can navigate with turn-by-turn directions to pick up their kids at their current locations.
WedVite is a mobile invitation app that allows brides and grooms the ability to share their wedding day information with guests. The app includes details such as directions to the venue, the guest list and gift registry information. WedVite will soon include Scout for Apps to provide guests with the ability to get directions to the wedding and reception.
"Kids aren't always great about keeping track of what time it is and where they should be. Maybe soccer practice runs over and then they head to the nearby store for a treat afterwards without notifying their parents. Knowing where your kids are at any moment provides peace of mind in these situations," said Chris Hulls, CEO of Life360. "Scout for Apps means there's one less thing for our customers to have to worry about when it's time to pick their kids up – no more following a dot on a map, reading written directions, or cutting and pasting an address into a GPS device. Scout for Apps was so simple to add to our app and it offers so much value to our customers. If you have a location component to your app, I don't know why you wouldn't use it."

Scout for Apps is currently optimized for the iOS platform. Telenav plans to optimize Scout for Apps on Android later this year.
"Launching Scout for Apps allows us to offer our services to more people and is a huge milestone for us as we continue to work toward our vision of bringing daily personalized navigation to people wherever they go and whenever they need it," added Dhanani.

About the Scout for Apps Open Developer Program
Telenav's standard open developer program is free for developers and is supported by mobile ads. If developers would prefer to offer Scout for Apps without ads, Telenav will provide flexible licensing options. Interested developers can find more information on integrating Scout for Apps into their mobile website or app at developer.telenav.com. Telenav has also launched a support community for developers using Scout for Apps and encourages developers to visit this community to ask questions, share ideas or give feedback.

About Telenav, Inc.
Telenav's mission is to help make people's lives easier, less stressful, more fun, and more productive while they are on the go. Our personalized navigation services help people make faster and smarter daily decisions about where to go, when to leave, how to get there, and what to do when they arrive. Each day, more than 30 million people have access to personalized navigation that we deliver to their mobile phones, tablets, computers and cars. To date, we have scouted more than 1.3 billion personal journeys.
We aim to be everywhere people need us. Our partners are wireless carriers, automobile manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), app developers, advertisers and agencies, as well as enterprises large and small. Our partners include AT&T, Bell Mobility, Boost Mobile, China Mobile, Ford, NII Holdings, QNX Software Systems, Rogers, Sony, Sprint Nextel, Telcel, T-Mobile UK, T-Mobile US, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Vivo Brazil. You can also find us in mobile app stores and on the web at www.telenav.com and www.scout.me.

Follow Telenav on Twitter at www.twitter.com/telenav or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telenav

Copyright 2012 Telenav, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

"Telenav," "Scout for Apps," the Telenav and Scout logos, "telenav.com" and "scout.me" are registered and unregistered trademarks and/or service marks of Telenav, Inc. Unless otherwise noted, all other trademarks, service marks, and logos used in this press release are the trademarks, service marks or logos of their respective owners.